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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290224">A Ride in the Woods</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot'>Onehelluvapilot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Camelove [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Femslash February, Getting Together, Horseback Riding, Short &amp; Sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:47:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Elena returns to Camelot, and Gwen falls a little in love</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elena/Gwen (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Camelove [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Camelove 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Ride in the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Princess Elena had returned, several months after her previous visit, to hammer out some of the fine details of the trade agreement between Camelot and Gawant. Her father, King Godwyn, had been planning to attend the meeting, but has fallen ill, so his daughter came in his stead. Gwen found herself glad for the change as she watched the negotiations. As a servant, she should have had eyes for nothing but the goblets of those at the table, checking whether they'd need to be refilled, but she found her gaze continuously drawn to the princess. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elena was different somehow, than during her last visit. She was more poised, and a good deal less clumsy, but just as fierce in defending herself and her kingdom's interests. It took real courage to stand up to Uther, and the serving girl was impressed, and maybe just a little bit awed, by her. When the princess looked up at her and smiled, Gwen had to look away bashfully as heat rose in her cheeks. Merlin caught the motion and grinned at her, and she swore she hadn't felt this embarrassed since he teased her about choosing between Arthur and Lancelot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever she'd been feeling then though was nothing compared to the way her heart raced when Elena came up to her after the meeting and asked if she'd like to go riding with her the next day. It was all she could do to nod furiously as Merlin gave her two thumbs up from across the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Great, I'll see you at the stables at nine then!" Elena said, before running to catch up to a lord she wanted to lay into about a subtle insult he'd given her during the meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day, Gwen arrived half an hour early in her enthusiasm and spent the time talking with Tyr the stable boy and trying to calm her racing heart. The intention behind the invitation might not even have been romantic in nature, and maybe she was obsessing over nothing. A girl could hope though…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally Elena arrived and smiled at her as they got the horses ready. Leon and another knight were there as well, as Uther had insisted that the visiting princess have bodyguards with her at all times. The two men stayed close to the women as they rode out through the city, and their proximity discouraged much conversation. Outside the city, however, was a different matter </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Gwen called as Elena kicked her horse into a gallop as soon as they were out of the city gates. She considered trying to catch up, but didn't feel comfortable trying to go faster this early in the ride, having yet to fall into the rhythm of the animal rocking under her. Thankfully, the other woman immediately slowed her pace before doubling back towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” the princess apologized as she fell back to ride alongside Gwen instead of way out in front. “Sometimes I just lose my head when I go out riding. Like, I just want to race sometimes, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Guinevere replied, clutching the reins of her horse tightly as it sidestepped out of the way of a branch fallen partially across the path. “I’m not as good of a rider as you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, you’re doing wonderfully,” the other woman replied. “And even Arthur can’t beat me in a horse race, so don’t feel too bad about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gwen felt the heat rise in her cheeks at the compliment from the princess. She had thought that she would have stopped getting flustered by royalty since Arthur had stopped courting her and Morgana had betrayed them, but that seemed not to be the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, thank you,” Gwen said. “That’s a great compliment, coming from you. After you beat Arthur in that race, he didn’t stop talking about it for weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two close?” Elena asked, unsubtly. “I noticed that when we were calling off the wedding and discussing the fact that we did not love one another, he was looking over at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, no. We used to be, but I think Arthur was actually looking at his manservant, Merlin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Elena laughed heartily. “That explains a lot. Arthur is like me then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like you?” Gwen asked, feigning innocence as she scarcely dared to hope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That he likes men. Or not- I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> like men, I like women, but he’s like me in that he likes people of the same sex,” Elena explained. She outwardly seemed confident in explaining it, but Gwen caught the way she glanced over her shoulder nervously to where the two knights rode behind them. Fortunately, they had fallen far enough back to not have overheard. Gwen made a mental note to thank Leon for his discretion, and for giving the two women their privacy. "I hope that doesn't bother you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not at all," she assured her. "Actually, I like both. Men and women, that is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elena smiled. "I was hoping that was the case." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That confirmed it for Gwen; this was meant to be a date! She let her horse drift closer to the other woman's, a wide smile splitting her face. The rest of the ride passed pleasantly, if a little awkwardly, since neither of them really knew what to do now. When they returned to Camelot, Elena dismounted first and then reached up to help Gwen down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Another ride, tomorrow?" The princess would be leaving soon, and she wanted to spend as much time with the other woman before then as possible. She didn't let go of the serving girl either, keeping her hands on her waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure!" Gwen agreed, her own hands around Elena's shoulders. "I'd love to!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elena still might be ‘the perfect princess,’ but Gwen found her unladylike qualities endearing. She especially admired her strength in not allowing society’s standards to dictate how she lived her life. Which apparently included not being ashamed to invite a serving girl on a date.</span>
</p>
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